Through the Woods
An Appalachian Adventure Album The Okee Dokee Brothers
1. Through the Woods
2. Big Rock Candy Mountain
3. Jamboree
4. Evergreen
5. Walking With Spring
6. Out of Tune
7. Black Bear Mama
8. Hillbilly Willy
9. Riddle and Rhyme
10. Tiny Little Life
11. Ruby Jane
12. Fiddlestick Joe
13. Lighten Your Load
14. Echo
15. Baby Mine
Through the Woods (capo 4)
D
D/C#
Bm
Bm/A
I'm wondering if you'd go wandering with me
G
G/F# Through the wilderness and woods
Em
A
To where the winds are blowin' free
D
D/C#
Through the darkness of the night
Bm
Bm/A
Headin' toward the morning light
G
A
D
I wonder if you'd wander with me
A
D
I’ll spread the word
G
D
And you beat the drum G
D
We’ll round up the troops
G
A
And get the gang to come
A7
D
And we’ll leave the streets
G
D - D/C# And these neighborhoods
Bm
Bm/A
Bm/G# Head over the river
A
D
And through the woods
You’re wondering if I go wandering with you What kind of trouble we'll get ourselves into Would it be wrong to tag along
With a band of vagabonds You wonder if I'd wander with you
I'm wondering if you’d come wandering my way If you ever get lost
Or the trail leads you astray
The music of the pack Can always bring ya back
I wonder can we wander away (Chorus)
Big Rock Candy Mountain (capo 4)
C
In the Big Rock Candy Mountain, F
C
There's a land that's fair and bright, F
C
Where butterscotch grows on bushes D7
G
(G7)
And you can sleep out every night C
(C7)
Where the boxcars all are empty F
C
And the sun shines every day F
C
F
C
On the birds and the bees, and the peppermint trees F
C
F
C
The lemonade springs, where the bluebird sings
G
C
In the Big Rock Candy Mountain
In the Big Rock Candy Mountain
All the bears have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs The farmers' trees are full of fruit
And the barns are full of hay
Oh I'm bound to go, where there ain't no snow Where the rain don't fall, and the winds don't blow In the Big Rock Candy Mountain
In the Big Rock Candy Mountain
You never change your socks
And the little streams of chocolate drops Come a-trickling down the rocks
Your birthday comes ‘round once a week And it’s summer all year long
There's a lake of stew, and marmalade too You can paddle all around it in a big canoe In the Big Rock Candy Mountain (whistle...)
I'll see you all this coming fall
If it’s free for one, then it’s a free-for-all
In the Big Rock... Candy Mountain
Jamboree
(C)
F
There’s a country store C
In a country town
G
Every Friday night
C
The people dance around It don’t look like much And it ain’t no chore But while they’re dancin’ They polish that floor
G
C
G
C
They play this song, right on key, they play this song, it’s called Jamboree
There’s a little old lady Plays a big old bass
And that banjo maybe Shoulda stayed in the case And the guitar there Has a broken string And the fiddle’s flyin’ And everyone sings
They play this song, almost on key, they play this song, it’s called Jamboree
Fleas in your pants Coals on the floor
You can dance
If you can count to four Grab you a partner Hold on tight ‘Cuz we ain’t stoppin’ Until we see the light
We’ll play this song, way off key, we’ll play this song,
It’s called Jamboree, it’s called Jamboree, it’s called Jamboree
Evergreen (capo 4)
F
F/E
C/B
C
A sugar maple sure sounds sweet
And a nest in an oak tree is hard to beat An aspen branch makes a pretty perch And I love to land in an old black birch
But however much they lean They’ll never come between
Me and my forever and evergreen
I can stretch my wings in a mountain ash
And sing my song from a sassafras
Or fly to the top of a cottonwood
And weave through the willows all day if I could (Chorus)
Walking with Spring (capo 4)
C
Inch by inch by
F
C
Foot by foot by
F
C
G (G7)
Step by step by mile
C
We’re takin’ it –– inch by inch by F
C
Foot by foot
F
C
Till we find ourselves G C
In the wild
F
C
F
C
We’re startin’ down south and headin’ up north
F
C
G
Following the path of spring
Dm
C
And with every step the leaves turn green
G
C
And the whippoorwills start to sing (and they’re singin'...) (Chorus)
The days get longer and the flowers will open
When they hear that banjo ring
So let's melt the snow and bring out the sun
While we take our walk with Spring (Take a walk now...) (Intrumental)
We might as well stop and smell all the roses
Winter’s in the past
And there’s no need to rush, no there’s no need to fuss ‘Cuz we ain’t goin’ nowhere fast
We’ll take it mile by mile by Hour by hour by,
Day by day as we climb
And then it’s week by week by Month by month by, Year by year For a lifetime
Out of Tune (capo 5)
C
I like it when you sing
And all the notes agree
F
When the melody is certain
C
And the rhythm is a guarantee
F
C
But I love it when you let go
E7
Am
And howl at the moon
C
Am
‘Cuz sometimes the words sound better F
C
When you sing ‘em out of tune
I like it when you play
Right on key
I like it when you fill the space
With perfect harmony
But I love it when you honky-tonk Like a piano in an old saloon
‘Cuz sometimes the notes sound better When you play ‘em out of tune
I like it when you act
As if the world’s a stage
And your character delivers
The soliloquies of a sage
But I love it when you go off script And kiss the girl too soon
‘Cuz sometimes the story’s better When you tell it out of tune … Sometimes life is better
When you live it out of tune
Black Bear Mama
E
We were out having our Jamboree
B
In a little clearing in the dogwood trees Eatin’ biscuits and black-eyed peas E
Piping hot and steamin’
Black Bear Mama came out of her den
Left the little ones 8, 9, 10
Sayin’ don’t you worry I’ll come back again And we’ll have supper this evenin’
A
E
She eats honey, from a honeybee
B
E
She eats it on biscuits, but she don’t eat me
Black Bear Mama going round the woods Lookin’ for something that’ll taste so good Black Bear Mama playin’ Robin Hood
To feed her poor little children
When she found us she looked pretty mean And we didn’t feel like makin’ a scene
So we made a donation of pork and beans Before we got our fillin’
You better run from the foldy rolly tilly tolly Seeka dubba yoosa cuz a bear’s gonna find you (4x - 3rd time sped up) (Chorus)
Black Bear Mama went back to her den To feed her little ones 8, 9, 10
They ate it all up in a gulp, and then
In a minute they were snoring
But Black Bear Mama had a hungry pack
Our campfire cookin’ was just a snack
They woke up mama, said you better go back For hotcakes in the morning (They ate honey...)
(Chorus)
Hillbilly Willy (capo 2)
G
C
He takes his showers under waterfalls
D
G
Wears oversized over-worn overalls
G
C
Long underwear underneath
D
D7
He’s got the Cumberland Gap between his two front teeth
Get out the way here comes Willy
He’s proud to be a banjo-pickin’ hillbilly
He wouldn’t have it any other way
He’ll be running through the hills until his beard turns grey
G
C
D
G
Take it, shake it, get out the guitar and fake it… (Guitar solo)
Well he never watches the evening news
And he don’t like wearin’ hiking shoes
His old straw hat is worn n’ torn
They say he came out wearin’ it the day he was born (Chorus)
Kick it, stick it, bring out the banjo and pick it… (Banjo solo)
That old Willy’s a fine old man
He washes his face in a fryin’ pan
He went out to milk and didn’t know how So he milked the goose instead of the cow (Chorus)
String it, swing it, get out the fiddle and wing it… (Fiddle solo)
Willy’s got a wife that gets a little frilly
Puts escargot in her homestyle chili
Drinks champagne from an old canteen
She makes Willy drive the mule like a limousine (Chorus)
Riddle and Rhyme (capo 5)
Intro: C A
D
D/C#
When you’re hungry and you’re brittle Bm
Bm/A
And there’s little on the griddle
G
G/G#
A7
It’ll whittle out your middle in time D
D/C#
So you take out your fiddle Bm
Bm/A
And you twiddle up a diddle
G
A
D
And sing a little riddle and rhyme
G
G/F#
Em
Little riddle and rhyme for your time on the trail D
D/C#
Bm
Little riddle and rhyme for your ride on the rail C
C/B# A
Little riddle and rhyme for a tellin’ your tale
D
A little riddle and rhyme
When you peddle for some metal And you settle on a kettle
That’ll level and dishevel your dime Then leave the nettle for the rebel And that rebel for the devil And just bring a little pebble and pine (Chorus)
When you’re sittin’ on a thistle
And you’re sizzlin’ some gristle This’ll turn your little drizzle to shine Have a sarsaparizzle fizzle
Kiss a little in the bristle
And take little whistle’n time (Chorus 2x)
Tiny Little Life (capo 2)
D
G
Built me a cabin up high on a mountain D
A
Where I live with my family and wife
D
G
It’s a tiny little cabin up high on a mountain
D
A
D
Where I live me a tiny little life
G
Where the trees are made of cotton
D
And their fruits are never rotten
A
D
And a toothpick fence is something you should see In our little cottage
There’s a minimum of wattage
‘Cuz that’s the way we wanted it to be (Chorus)
The train is going round and round
The miniature little mountain town
The track is in the shape of a figure eight Or maybe it’s infinity
‘Cuz in this train’s vicinity
No one cares about the time or date (Chorus)
Bridge:
G
There’s not much there D
But I don’t care
A
‘Cuz this is where
D
I’m home
(short instrumental –– Em, Em7, A, A7, D)
Sometimes life’s a riddle
But if we keep it little
We don’t have to solve it on our own
I’m no Aristotle
This is just a model
It’s just one way to build yourself a home (Chorus)
Ruby Jane
G
C
G
You take the high road, I’ll take the low
G
D
G
We’ll meet up tonight by the crawdad hole
G
C
G
Bring an old jug in a burlap sack
G
D
G
To the sapping party at the sugar shack
D
With blackberry pie and huckleberry puddin’
G
The band’s warmin’ up and they’re playin’ Sally Goodin C
G
So bring out the jerky and fire up the stew
D
We’re gonna have a smoky mountain barbecue (with)
C
G
C
G
Ruby Jane, Ruby Jane
C
She’s my knapsackin', flapjackin' G
D
G
sidetrackin', wisecrackin' Ruby Jane
Am C D
She got a new pair of Sunday britches
Her papa cut ‘em out and her mama sewed the stitches I took her out with a bumblebee
For a buttercup of dew drop tea
It’s getting dark and the road is long
I gotta get home by the end of the song So take me up in them rollin’ hills
And bury me under the daffodils (with)
Bridge:
Am
C
Am
Em
Hardest work I ever done was working on the farm
Am
C
D
D7
Easiest work I ever done was swinging in my true love’s arm (and that was my...)
Fiddlestick Joe
G
C
G
Eighteen, nineteen, twenty years ago
G
D
G
There was a man called Fiddlestick Joe
G
C
G
Blew into town on a travelin’ show
G
D
G
Showed us the dance he called the Fiddlestick Joe
G
C
Fiddlestick Joe, Fiddlestick Joe
G
D
Down from the mountain to the valley below
G
C
Fiddlestick Joe, Fiddlestick Joe
G
D
G
Dancin’ and a Fiddlestickin’ everywhere you go
I gotta shovel, my wife’s got a hoe
If that ain’t farmin’ buddy I don’t know Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough Granny does your dog bite? No child no (Chorus)
Cornstalk fiddle and a shoestring bow Wouldn’t play nothin’ but Fiddlestick Joe Play it all fast or play it all slow
But don’t play nothin’ but Fiddlestick Joe (Fiddle solo)
I went out west to Idaho
To see if people there play the Fiddlestick Joe I went out east to Tokyo
People everywhere play the Fiddlestick Joe (Chorus)
Lighten Your Load (capo 3)
C
Ain’t it a little bit funny
F
What you think you need
C
To climb a hill
G
And succeed
C
You bring the kitchen sink
F
On down the road
C
When all you really need
G
C
Is a lighter load
F
Ya gotta lighten your load, kid
C
When ya hit the road
G
I woulda thunk you’d knowed, kid
G7
C
Ya gotta lighten your load
Ain’t it a little bit funny, what you think you need To write a song, and succeed That kitchen sink, ain’t no fountain of youth All you really need, is the simple truth (Chorus)
Ain’t it a little bit funny, what we think we need To live a life, and succeed We take a little of this, we take a lot of that When all we really need, is to give it all back (Chorus)
Final Chorus:
We gotta lighten our load, kid
When we hit the road
You would’ve thunk we’d knowed, kid We gotta lighten our load
We gotta lighten our load
We gotta lighten our load Echo (capo 5)
Intro: G Em C Dx2
G
C
I came across a valley
G
D
With a wide mountain view
G
C
And sang out your name
G
D
G
With yodel-lodle-lay-he-hoo
C
Yodel-a-hee-hoo
G
Yodel-a-hee-hee
D
Yodel-a-hee-hoo
D7
G
I’m in love with you
Em C D I fell asleep that evening
Singing up to the night
And that valley was so wide
I heard the echo in the morning light (Chorus)
And then came along a rich man Richer than a king
He tried to buy my song
G
D
G
But money can’t make me sing
Em C D G
Ya know love is like an echo If it’s pure and it’s true
Then sing it out to the world And it’ll come back to you (Chorus 2x)
(Last chorus: I’m still in love with you)
Baby Mine (capo 5)
C
You’re my little sweetheart, baby mine F
G
You’re my little sweetheart, baby mine F
You’re the sugar lump in my tea C
You’re my homemade recipe G
C
You’re my little sweetheart, baby mine
I’ll love you till forever, baby mine I’ll love you till forever, baby mine 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
Forever’s just begun I’ll love you till forever, baby mine
Someday you’ll be singing, baby mine Someday you’ll be singing, baby mine That day’s comin’ soon
When you’ll sing your child this tune Someday you’ll be singing, baby mine
Bridge:
F
C
Still you’ll be my baby, baby mine
F
G
Still you’ll be my baby, baby mine
Goodnight little darlin’, baby mine Goodnight little darlin’, baby mine Tonight I hope you dream
Of seein’ things I’ve never seen
So, goodnight little darlin’, baby mine